Govt lobbies for level playing field in German deals

Call came after Berlin withdrew its approval of takeover of chip equipment maker

The Ministry of Commerce hopes the German government's recent investigation on a cross-border acquisition by a Chinese company is "an exception" and doesn't represent its economic policy against Chinese businesses, said the ministry's spokesman on Wednesday.

Shen Danyang, the spokesman, said even though Chinese investment in Germany has grown rapidly in recent years, the total volume is still relatively small. It is unnecessary for German officials to worry that German technology and jobs will be lost as a result of Chinese investment.